At that moment,n bent down, his long, defined fingers picking up the velvet jewelry box and the car key shaped like a tube of lipstick.


    He ran his thumb over the velvet box as he nced at Eleanor. She reached out and swiftly took the elegant box from him. "Thank you," she said curtly.


    Ellington snapped back to attention and hurried on with his presentation, but from then on,n''s questions grew noticeably tougher.


    Luckily, Ellington was a seasoned manager; he handled the scrutiny withposure, though by the end of the meeting, a faint sheen of sweat covered his brow. The other senior managers wasted no time-once the meeting was over, they filed out quickly.


    Asn stood to leave, he was suddenly wracked by a violent cough. He steadied himself with one hand against the conference table, his knuckles turning white as he struggled for breath.


    Eleanor kept gathering her files without missing a beat. She didn''t even nce his way.


    "Mr. Goodwin!" Ellington hurried over, concern in his voice. "Let me take you to the hospital."


    Eleanor was in a foul mood. She hade here for a meeting, butn had dominated the entire discussion, revealing just how deeply rooted his need for control truly was.


    "Ms. Sutton, do you have any objections to Mr. Goodwin''s decision?" Ellington asked politely.


    Despite her irritation, Eleanor had to admitn''s proposal was the best option. It was about the future of Vesper Joy Group; she couldn''t let her personal feelings get in the way.


    “No. Let''s move forward with your n,” she replied, grabbing her bag and heading out of the conference room.


    Ellington gave her a courteous nod of farewell.


    As she reached the elevator, she spottedn already waiting. Ellington nced at his watch. "Ms. Sutton, I''ll get back to my work now," he said, making his exit.


    Now, in the echoing elevator lobby, Eleanor andn stood side by side.


    Eleanor stood tall, eyes fixed straight ahead, acting as if the man beside her was invisible.


    The elevator took its time arriving.


    The silence between them thickened, the air weighted with all the words left unsaid. Suddenly, Eleanor''s phone rang, startling her. She nced at the screen -Xavier was calling.


    She hesitated for a second, then answered smoothly. "Hey, Xavier."


    “Eleanor, I''m feeling a bit cooped up. Do you have time to grab lunch with me?" Xavier''s voice was hopeful.


    She remembered he''d been in the hospital for a week after the car ident; he was probably eager to get out for a while. She happened to be free. "Sure. Do you want me to pick you up?"


    "Would that be alright?"


    "Of course."


    "Great. I''ll wait for you outside your office."


    She ended the call. At that moment, the elevator chimed open. She stepped inside,n following just behind her.


    As the doors slid shut, the small space seemed to close in, the tension almost palpable.


    In the hush,n swallowed hard, as if fighting back words or maybe something deeper. After a few seconds, he finally spoke. "Did Xavier just propose to you?"